


A New Year With You

by DaniCarli



Series: ETNuary Challenge [30]
Category: Escape the Night (Web Series)
Genre: 1920s, AU conclusion, Also Joe is here even though he's not on the show (yet), Alternate Universe - 1920s, Comfort, Confessions, ETNuary, Escape the Night Season 1, F/M, First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Getting Together, Happy, Happy Ending, Hope, Hopeful Ending, Joe is a great friend, Joyful, Kissing at Midnight, Love, Love Confessions, Love Letters, Love Stories, Male Friendship, Male-Female Friendship, Nervousness, New Year's Eve, New Year's Kiss, Romantic Fluff, Romantic Friendship, Train Station, total Eli fan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:28:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22474123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DaniCarli/pseuds/DaniCarli
Summary: It's almost midnight and Oli is waiting for an answer to a letter he sent to a certain journalist.  Will she arrive to ring in the new year with him?
Relationships: The Big Game Hunter | Oli White & The Journalist | Eva Gutowski, The Big Game Hunter | Oli White/The Journalist | Eva Gutowski
Series: ETNuary Challenge [30]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1588867
Comments: 18
Kudos: 11
Collections: EscapetheNightRealworldAU





	A New Year With You

**Author's Note:**

> Day 30 of ETNuary: Oli White

It’s five minutes till midnight and she still hasn’t shown up.

_She’ll be here!_ Oli White tries to convince himself as he paces the entrance to the train station, his hands gripping the insides of his coat pockets. _Tim promised he would get the letter to her!_

While the last part is true (Tim will honor his promise, the man does owe Oli), the first part still makes the Big Game Hunter nervous. What if Eva Gutowski doesn’t feel the same way? What if she only saw him as a friend? What if she was just with him for the story she was working on?

But that’s not possible! Even after the story was published, the Journalist still spent time with him. From their walks in the park, to having deep and meaningful conversations over coffee, it was clear Eva enjoyed spending time with him just as much as he did with her. She had a genuine happy reaction to the scrapbook he gifted her before Christmas. After pouring his heart out to her that day, as well as in the letter he wrote to her, there’s no doubt she would feel the same for him.

“Oli, we should head to the train now or we’ll miss it.”

Oli stops pacing and looks at Joe Sugg, his manager and best mate, who is tapping his watch, a remorseful look on his face. The hunter stares up at the big clock, the time now reading 11:57. Three minutes till the new year.

“Come on, Joe, just one more minute, please!” Oli pleads to his friend. He scans the crowd, looking for a familiar woman within it. He spots nothing.

_There’s still time, she could still make it!_

However, as the time ticks down, his hope starts to dwindle. He mentioned in the letter that if Eva doesn’t show up, then that means she doesn’t return his feelings. Oli said that he would understand and cherish their friendship regardless. But that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t be disappointed, even heartbroken. He really thought the two of them had something.

“One minute to midnight!” someone excitedly shouts in the crowd. People passing by start to cheer, some even starting to count down themselves. It’s almost time.

“Oli,” Joe speaks again, guilt in his words, “I’m sorry mate, we have to go. I’m really sorry.”

Oli sighs, his disappointment raining over him. He knows Joe’s right. They can’t miss their train. “Alright then, let’s go.”

As he picks up his suitcase, he feels Joe place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “If it means anything, Oli, I really was hoping she would show up. She sounds like quite a gal!”

Oli sadly smiles, appreciating Joe’s support. “Yeah, she really is! But it’s fine, mate, it is! I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”

_I guess I have my answer._ No matter how much he tries to stay positive, the pain in his heart won’t go away.

It’s disappointing, but Oli will respect Eva’s decision. She will have a great life and be a successful journalist, proving so many wrong. Maybe, hopefully, fate will allow them to see each other in the future.

_May we meet again, Madam Journalist!_ Oli smiles as he takes one last look at the city that holds a piece of his heart.

As the two men prepare to make their way to their train, the new year only thirty seconds away, a piercing shout breaks through the station. “OLI!”

Oli stops in his tracks, his suitcase gripped tightly in his hands. _Could it be?_

“OLI, WAIT!”

The hunter slowly turns, shock making his eyes nearly bulge out of his sockets. Lo and behold, he spots a clad of pink and a familiar cream-colored hat as she pushes people out of the way, making haste towards him.

As Eva walks up to a surprised Oli and Joe, she holds up a finger as she stops to breathe. Her hands on her knees, the exhausted journalist takes in deep breaths as if she had just run across the bloody state.

“Great Biscuits!” she heaves. “I did not wear the right shoes for running! Oh my goodness!”

Once she composes herself, Eva stands up and looks at Oli, a large smile across her beautiful sweaty face. She holds up her hand, a piece of paper clenched in it. “I got your letter! Tim gave it to me, which is so strange how you're friends with someone like him, given his reputation! But he had his driver get me across town, which was a nightmare with how he was driving, although he did know secret ways of getting around. We were so close to the train station, but there was terrible traffic that we couldn’t get by. But the station was five minutes away, so I got out and ran the rest of the way here, which probably wasn’t a good idea for me but I had to get here an-”

“You really came!” Oli slowly interrupts Eva’s rambling, happiness and relief blossoming within him. She’s right in front of him, with midnight approaching fast. That means what she feels for him, the way he feels for her, is real.

Eva stares at him, disbelief that he would say such a thing. “Of course I came!” she laughs as the ten second countdown starts. “Oli, you poured your heart out to me in ways _no_ man ever could! You saw me for me and I saw you. I always thought being a journalist was what I only wanted in life, but I realize now that it doesn’t have to be my only love. Because I know what else I want more than anything, and that’s _you_!”

In that moment, so much happens. The Bell Tower rings as the clock strikes midnight, everyone around screams “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”, and Eva grabs Oli’s face and presses her lips against his. It catches the hunter off guard, but in the best way possible. Feeling her warm, soft kiss brings him joy, and he can only return it back with his kiss. 

In the background, fireworks go off in the city. It’s to ring in the new year, but to Oli, he likes to think it’s for the two of them. How he feels towards Eva Gutowski is like fireworks, and it’s glorious!

He wraps his massive arms around her little waist, lifting her up and spinning her around. Eva giggles between kisses at this act of love, feeling the happiness that he feels.

When they finally break apart, the two can only look at each other in silence. Both clearly don’t know what to say, but the look on Oli’s face reads everything. Eva returns his feelings, and he wants to be with her too.

“That,” Eva starts to say, her cheeks flushed with a pink that matches her coat, “that was incredible!”

Oli nods, also feeling the pink in his own cheeks. “Yeah, it really was!”

He turns to Joe, who has the goofiest grin on his face, a look of “atta boy!” But he’s obviously happy for his friend, which is why Oli is proud to call him his best mate. 

Joe then gestures to the hunter, as if telling Oli to ask Eva something. Oli figures it out, but doesn’t know how to say it.

“Listen, Eva,” Oli starts to say, trying to find his words. He clearly didn’t think about what to do if she said did show up. He now feels dumb. “Since it’s clear how we both feel, I would like-”

“Please don't leave! Don’t go back to London, at least not yet!” Eva cuts in. “I want you to stay, to spend more time together!”

Oli’s eyes light up. “I was going to suggest the same thing!”

Eva’s smile gets bigger. “Really?”

“Yes!” Oli responds, his smile extending. “I could always send a telegram to my father, letting him know I still have business here. It will give us all the time we need, right Joe?” He asks looking back at the other man.

Joe just shrugs. “I’m the one who schedules everything. As far as I’m concern, our work here isn’t done yet.”

Oli face brightens with gratitude, then looks back at Eva. “Looks like I’ll be staying for a while longer.”

The journalist breathes a sigh of relief, her face still as beautiful. Taking his hand into hers, she locks eyes with Oli in a way no one has ever looked at him before. “Happy New Year, Oliver White.”

The happiness and hope Oli feels transfers to her as he interlocks their fingers, united. “Happy New Year to you, Eva Gutowski.”

As they meet once more in a kiss, there’s no doubt in the hunter’s mind that this new year will belong to the two of them.

**Author's Note:**

> Total Eli fan, totally going to have a happy ending! Fun and joyful way to end this 1920s AU!


End file.
